Philadelphia 76ers ahead Paul George (8) seems to drive round Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley (10) in the course of the first half of an NBA preseason basketball sport, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Picture/Charlie Neibergall)
PHILADELPHIA — Paul George’s debut with the Philadelphia 76ers is on maintain and Joel Embiid is once more set to overlook time with an damage.
Embiid and George will miss Wednesday’s season opener towards Milwaukee and will miss extra video games because the All-Stars anticipated to attempt to lead Philadelphia to its first championship since 1983 return from accidents.
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George was set to make his Sixers debut after he left the Los Angeles Clippers and signed a four-year, $212 million contract as a free agent this summer time. However the 34-year-old George bought a bone bruise when he hyperextended his left knee throughout a preseason sport.
READ: NBA: Paul George has bone bruise, no structural injury in knee
The 76ers didn’t say Tuesday what number of extra video games George may miss; his return to play will probably be assessed later within the week.
The Bucks additionally misplaced a dose of star energy forward of the sport because the NBA opens this week.
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Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers mentioned Tuesday that Bucks ahead Khris Middleton additionally isn’t anticipated to play within the opener. The three-time All-Star hasn’t had any 5-on-5 work within the preseason as he recovers from offseason surgical procedures to every of his ankles.
“It’s fairly 100% to 99,” Rivers mentioned of the chance that Middleton gained’t play.
A nine-time All-Star, George was injured when his knee buckled on a defensive play within the second quarter of a sport final week towards Atlanta.
George has handled accidents for a lot of his profession earlier than he performed 76 video games final season, the primary time he performed greater than 56 since 2018-19.
He mentioned the bone bruise this week on his “Podcast P with Paul George.” A six-time All-NBA choice, George mentioned his knee was steady with no main injury, nor did it trigger any long-term concern over his well being.
READ: NBA: Joel Embiid ‘in all probability’ carried out with taking part in in back-to-backs
“My leg actually simply bought caught. I don’t even know what else to name it. Simply my knee locked up, my leg locked up,” George mentioned on his podcast. “Once I went to go push off, all my momentum goes ahead and my leg, it simply precipitated it to go inwards. I do know I’m pondering of after I seen it instantly I used to be like, ah, this don’t really feel proper, this don’t really feel proper.”
The Sixers’ schedule additionally consists of video games Sunday at Indiana and residential video games Wednesday and Saturday.
“I’m going to be good. I’m going to be good,” George mentioned. “I ought to be again hopefully ahead of later, but it surely gained’t be a protracted timetable I’d think about.”
The Sixers are down a well-recognized highway with Embiid.
He didn’t play within the preseason due to a sore left knee.
The Sixers mentioned Embiid was “responding nicely” to his individualized rehab plan and was scheduled to scrimmage this week. Embiid additionally will miss Friday’s sport towards Toronto and will probably be reevaluated this weekend.
“There’s been no setbacks,” coach Nick Nurse informed reporters on the 76ers’ complicated in New Jersey. “He’s actually lively. He’s misplaced some weight. He’s out on the courtroom. Simply form of sticking with our plan of creating positive we’re moving into a very, actually good place earlier than we play him reside.”
READ: NBA: Bucks vet Khris Middleton to overlook opener
The 30-year-old, who gained an Olympic gold medal in Paris with Crew USA, signed a $193 million contract forward of coaching camp. The 76ers have didn’t advance out of the second spherical of the playoffs since 2001, largely as a result of Embiid has failed to remain wholesome for a whole postseason.
Embiid has by no means performed greater than 68 video games in a season and was restricted to 39 final season largely due to knee surgical procedure. He tore the meniscus in his left knee on Jan. 30 and had surgical procedure on Feb. 6.
“We’ve bought to do no matter it takes to guarantee that within the postseason I’m wholesome,” Embiid mentioned in September. “It’s no matter it takes to verify I get to that time and I’m able to go. Principally, each single yr of my profession I’ve been harm within the playoffs. That’s the purpose, doing no matter it takes to get there.”
The 76ers completed 31-8 final season season with Embiid — a few 65-win tempo — and a woeful 16-27 with out him.
Embiid revealed forward of coaching camp that he dropped about 25 to 30 kilos over the summer time to remain in higher situation for the lengthy grind of the season. That features not dashing again from any additional points with the knee.
“Till I’m at that time the place they really feel like I’m able to go, I’m positive they’re going to carry me again,” Embiid mentioned on the workforce’s media day. “I imagine with the fellows that we’ve, and what I can deliver to the desk, we’ve a reasonably good likelihood (at a title).”
He has 5 All-NBA Crew honors, seven consecutive All-Star picks from 2017-24, three All-Defensive Crew nods and twice has been the NBA scoring champion.
With George becoming a member of the 2023 NBA MVP in Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers have been anticipated to boast one of the formidable trios within the league as they attempt to put collectively a nucleus that may compete with the defending champion Boston Celtics.
Maxey is anticipated to play after the guard suffered a bruised proper thumb within the preseason.
As for the Bucks, Rivers mentioned Middleton’s damage is extra of a day-to-day difficulty and shouldn’t hold him out lengthy. Quite a lot of accidents restricted Middleton to 55 regular-season video games final yr and 33 in 2022-23.
“I’d say if this was a playoff sport, he’d in all probability be taking part in, or near it,” Rivers mentioned.
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Taurean Prince has been beginning in Middleton’s place in the course of the preseason.
